The efficacy and function of birch bark

Birch bark is commonly used as a medicinal ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine. This is also because of the medicinal value of birch bark itself, so today I will tell you about the relevant knowledge about birch bark.

[Other names] Birch bark (Lingyuan Fang), birch bark (Jilin Chinese Herbal Medicine).

[Source] It is the bark of the Betula platyphylla or white birch of the Betulaceae family. Cut down the birch trees, peel off the soft bark and dry it in the sun.

[Original form] ① Birch (Betula alba), also known as red birch and birch bark tree.

[Habitat distribution] Produced in Northeast China, Hebei, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia and other places.

[Properties] The dried bark of white birch is in the shape of a large roll. The outer surface of the roll (i.e. the inner surface of the bark) is light yellow-brown with dark horizontal stripes. The inner surface of the scroll (i.e. the outer surface of the skin) is grayish white with a slight red tint, with bumpy branch marks and black-brown color. It is flexible, breaks slightly flat, and can be peeled off in layers. The smell is faint and fragrant; the taste is bitter.

[Chemical composition] The bark of the white birch in North China contains about 35% betulin, more than 35% of various higher fatty acids, and about 7% tannin (the inner bark contains about 11% tannin). Initial tests showed that it also contained phenolic substances, reducing substances, polysaccharides, saponins, proteins, triterpenoids, total glycosides, resins and oils. The fresh leaves contain triterpenes such as betulintriol and betulintetraol, and 5.19% tannins. The oil content of small nuts is 11.44%.

【Pharmacological effects】 ① Antitussive, expectorant and antiasthmatic effects

[Toxicity] The concentrated decoction of birch bark was treated with ethanol and then precipitated with concentrated ammonia. The filtrate was recovered and the part dissolved in ethanol and water was injected intraperitoneally into mice with a median lethal dose of 92.92 g of crude drug/kg.

【Nature and flavor】 Bitter, cold.

【Meridian】 "Ben Cao Jing Shu": "enters the foot yangming meridian."

【Functions and indications】 Clears away heat and dampness, eliminates phlegm and relieves cough, reduces swelling and detoxifies. Treat pneumonia, dysentery, diarrhea, jaundice, nephritis, urinary tract infection, chronic tracheitis, acute tonsillitis, periodontitis, acute mastitis, furuncle, prurigo, and burns.

[Usage and Dosage] For oral use: decoct in water, 0.5-1 liang; make into syrup or granules. For external use: grind the calcined powder and sprinkle it.

【Note】 "Compendium of Materia Medica" states: "People with weak spleen and stomach, who are prone to diarrhea, should avoid this medicine."

[Additional prescription] ① Treat five types of jaundice: take equal parts of birch bark and Artemisia capillaris. Decoction as tea. (Lin's Family Prescriptions)

【Discussions by various scholars】 ① "Compendium of Materia Medica": "Birch bark, five jaundices are all caused by damp heat accumulated in the Yangming meridian. It is bitter and mild and can remove damp heat, so it is used to treat various carbuncle. Zangqi used it to treat hot and toxic sores during typhoid fever, and Zongshi used it to treat lung wind poison. Both of them took its bitter and cool properties to dispel wind evil and heat toxins."

【Clinical Application】 ①Treatment of various inflammations

【Excerpt】 《*Dictionary》

[Source] From "Kaibao Materia Medica". "Compendium of Materia Medica": Birch grows in Liaodong, Lintao, rivers, and northwest areas. The wood is yellow with small red spots, and can absorb fat. Its bark is thick but light, soft and supple.

The effects and functions of birch bark have been described in detail above, and I believe everyone has a certain understanding of it. Whether birch bark has other therapeutic effects still requires further research.